Ricardo

Ricardo started his St. Rose, Louisiana-based staffing business, "My TBS, LLC", because he has always liked being independent. He also gets great enjoyment from watching business ideas mature and develop. Balancing his business, marriage, and four children along with a full-time career spanning 18 years, Ricardo also enjoys being busy. He describes himself as a stereotypical entrepreneur: “I’m goal and big-picture oriented. I’m very good at aligning myself to my goals and driving to success.”

Ricardo’s business connects qualified blue and white collar workers to businesses that need their services. He says, “We contract employees in fields from IT and computer technology to grass mowing and labor.” Currently, Ricardo runs his business “lean and mean,” with himself as the only full-time employee. All of his other employees are the contract workers that he has connected to his business clients, of which there are about ten currently.

Ricardo believes that his business’ biggest success is its ability to connect talented individuals with businesses that need them. “Success is when you are able to provide employment for qualified people. Even as a contract worker, you are on contract for two years or better; that’s gainful employment. That is success.”

Working in the staffing business is a constant challenge, Ricardo states. The ongoing obstacles presented by an ever-changing job market require him to regularly retool, redirect and redevelop his business and its practices. He also says that, because opportunities open and close so quickly in his business, the need to prioritize and manage resources properly is an ever-present challenge. The way he has been able to overcome these challenges is, as he says, by “knowing the business. The more you know, the better equipped you are to handle the demands of the job.”

In the future, Ricardo hopes to see his business become 100% self-sufficient. Currently, he continues his full-time work in his professional career while managing My TBS on the side. While he likes the financial security this provides him and his family, he would one day like to be able to rely totally on his business.

This loan will allow Ricardo to meet the demands of several quick turn-over projects in his business’ future. “In this business, you have to be ready to move on opportunities quickly. You can’t afford to be slow while pursuing opportunities that open up.” The cash he will get from this loan will allow Ricardo to jump on upcoming opportunities at a competitive speed. It will allow him to continue to serve his business clients, his workers and his community by providing gainful employment to those who need it.

With his 18 years of experience in mind, Ricardo has this to say to aspiring business owners: “Only when you’ve had a lot of knock downs and bruises are you poised to experience success. Stay with it, get the training you need, and learn your business. If you don’t see success the first time, drop back and go at it again. Learn from your mistakes.” This wisdom has carried Ricardo to success, and this loan will help him continue to build on what he’s learned.

Additional Information

About LiftFund

LiftFund. (www.liftfund.com) is an award-winning nonprofit organization (previously known as Accion Texas) with a mission to provide credit and loans to small and start-up businesses that have limited or no access to credit from commercial sources. Established in 1994 in San Antonio, LiftFund has helped Texas and Louisiana entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses, stabilize and increase their incomes, create employment, and contribute to the economic revitalization of their communities. Learn more at www.liftfund.com.